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Can You Heal a Cavity at Home? Myths and Facts

February 3, 2025by Halton Village Dental
Can You Heal a Cavity at Home? Myths and Facts

Some people will do anything to avoid going to a dentist. The internet doesn’t help because it offers many home concoctions promising to heal cavities. Those don’t work as you can’t heal a cavity at home.

These treatments aren’t bad for teeth. They could help in your overall oral health but none can cure a cavity. The good news is there are options at your dentist’s office that can reverse a cavity in its early stages, remedy a cavity in other stages, and stop a cavity infection from causing gum infections.

Let’s look at some of the home remedies for cavities offered online.

Myth: Use clove oil to dab on the tooth.

Clove has many wonderful properties that will reduce inflammation and fight bacteria but it won’t reverse or stop a cavity. It might provide some temporary relief until you see your dentist.

Myth: Do Oil Pulling

This is a new trend of a centuries-old practice. Oil pulling is when you swish a quality edible oil, like olive, coconut, sunflower, or sesame oil in your mouth and spit. It isn’t necessarily harmful but isn’t helpful either. Oil pulling isn’t endorsed by the American Dental Association (ADA) because there isn’t scientific evidence it prevents cavities or reduces plaque.

Myth: Use a garlic mouthwash

This one is a humorous take because garlic will not leave your breath smelling fresh. Garlic, like so many suggested as home remedies, has many wonderful elements. It is provided to help fight infections if eaten regularly, although that is nominal.

A 2013 study showed the antimicrobial qualities of garlic extract did fight certain pathogens but that doesn’t signify that garlic is a cure-all. It won’t hurt your teeth to do this but it won’t cure a cavity.

Myth: Place ground aspirin on the tooth

Placing aspirin powder on a tooth with a cavity is an old method of relieving pain. It is a temporary pain reliever but won’t cure your cavity. It could provide some relief until you get to the dentist.

Procedures a Dentist Offers to Heal Cavities

Several procedures will heal a cavity and they are only available through a licensed dentist. The procedure you get depends on how long you have had the untreated cavity.

Remineralization

Those with a first-stage cavity could get it reversed by remineralizing the enamel. In the first stage, the cavity hasn’t broken through the enamel allowing it to be reversed if you can strengthen the enamel.

A dentist will use a fluoride treatment to strengthen the enamel, possibly reversing the cavity. The fluoride treatment is an additional service beyond the rinse you get during a dental exam.

In this procedure, your teeth are covered with fluoride and you let it seep into your teeth, providing them with more critical minerals. It takes about an hour to complete in most cases.

Fillings

Fillings are the most common way to remedy a cavity. This is the procedure dentists use when the cavity has entered the tooth. They clean the cavity and fill it with a substance that prevents bacteria from re-entering.

The good aspect of modern fillings is they use materials that look like natural teeth rather than the silver amalgam fillings of yesteryear. Modern fillings are much safer too as they don’t contain the mercury of the older versions.

Root Canals

Dentists will recommend a root canal if the untreated cavity causes an infection at the tooth root. In this procedure, the dentist or oral surgeon will remove the infection, fill the tooth root with a substance to prevent bacteria from returning, and put a crown over the tooth to protect it.

Make an Appointment

You have more options if you deal with a cavity sooner rather than later. It will also cost less to remedy an early-stage cavity than a later-stage one. We are here to help you schedule an exam and give you choices.